Order 66 Slaughter At The Temple
by Silver Ravens
Summary: A look at the destruction of the Jedi temple by Darth Vader and the 501st legion, through the eyes of a padawan, Kai Jintus.
1. First signs

_A/N__ The first two chapters have been redone as I was previously not happy with them, any reviews people would like to leave would be really appreciated, but please keep criticism constructive. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy._

Kai raised his head, the impact had launched him right off his feet and now he surveyed the damage before him as the dust tried to calm and settle. The once tall pillars had collapsed as intended and Kai found himself alone. For the first time in an hour it was quiet, he was able to think and reflect on the events. What had happened?

There was a disturbance in the force, actually it was more like disturbances. Every Jedi from master to youngling throughout the temple could feel it, the air thick with a clouded sense of calamity. The hairs on the back of Kai Jintus' neck had risen and his body was stiff with tension. Nobody knew what was going on, except that SOMETHING was going on and whatever it was, wasn't good. Kai was a seasoned Padawan and he could recognise the concern and anxiety in the face of everyone he passed on his way to the north entrance. He wasn't sure why he was heading there. Whilst meditating in an attempt to understand what was happening in the galaxy, he had been struck by an impulse to leave his chamber and get to the grand entranceway of the mighty temple. He passed many on his way; everyone was on high alert though most seemed to lack any real direction in their movements. There were small groups huddled together in fast conversation as to what these harsh ripples in the force meant and any who were striding along the brightly lit corridors, seemed to do so without any real purpose.

The corridor opened out as a small passage just off the main hall with a view of the overlooking balcony on his left and the massive doorway someway in front of him. Stopping at the end of the corridor Kai scanned the enormous entryway and found it to be a little more crowded then normal. The place was normally occupied by Jedi either coming or going and the standard (though Kai thought them pointless) handful of Republic guards. On the large balcony overhead were almost a dozen Jedi that Kai could see, as well as a smattering of others near passageways similar to the one at Kai's back. Before the Padawan could even begin to contemplate why so many had seemed to gather in this place, his thoughts were disrupted by the oncoming sound of marching. Kai's attention came to the opening entryway, as the imposing doors opened in welcoming a hooded figure crossing the threshold. The marching grew louder as the figure strode into the sacred temple with all eyes surrounding fixed firmly on him. He stopped a short way in and raised his head, 'Master Skywalker?' Kai thought to himself briefly, as he allowed the uneasy feelings within him that had been building, to be replaced by something closer to a calm relief and yet, something was wrong.

Suddenly Master Jurokk gatekeeper of the Temple, rushed past him robes fluttering behind him, toward the entering Skywalker…..'No' thought Kai, 'That isn't, but it is'. Kai's sense of vision and the sight he viewed before him was arguing with his intuition and force senses, 'This hooded figure is someone different' he wanted to say. Kai could only hear some of what little was exchanged between the two, his attention diverted by the legion of clone troopers following into the temple behind the hero Jedi. Then it happened, faster then Kai could follow the action, Skywalker had said something, almost whispered it with a sound that sent a cold throughout the heart of everyone watching. He raised his lightsabre just under Master Jurokk's chin and in a burst of brilliant blue, activated the deadly weapon.

Time seemed to slow to a mundane crawl, as Master Jurokks body slumped to the cold ground, now empty of life. The clones charged forward in slow motion, blasters free, with Skywalker stood perfectly still. Kai's mind reeled from the scene unfolding before him as he struggled to comprehend and understand the situation. Nothing made any sense. His body acted on instinct, guided by the force and brought his lightsabre to life in a flare of green and deflected the now sudden barrage of oncoming fire. The clones were moving forward in countless droves, clearly overwhelming the small number of shaken Jedi in the hall. 'If more had gathered, maybe we'd stand a chance' Kai's mind slurred in its lingering haze.

A narrowly missed shot from a blaster just off his shoulder snapped Kai's mind into time with his body, his concentration became focused and his lower body began to move with his top half. 'A moving target is harder to hit' echoed a voice of long forgotten combat instruction. Deflecting the bolts as best he could Kai's traumatized mind tried to assess the situation, innumerable clones were pouring into the temple and Jedi were falling all around against the onslaught. Kai's eyes were drawn once again to the still figure in the centre, his lightsabre still active with the crumpled shell of a man at his feet, 'When the leader falls the soldiers are scattered' spoke the same voice of wisdom from Kai's past.

Faster thinking and more experienced Jedi seem to have come to this conclusion and base action upon it already. Jedi Knights Kristin Haak and Jeirzden Tanis had leapt from the overhanging balcony and were now hurtling toward Skywalker. Seasoned and famed Knights these two were, with stories of their strength, deeds and affinity with the force in the war having been passed around the temple often. They were veteran Jedi with the force as their ally and justice on their side, deflecting the clones assault right back at them with swift righteousness; they made a path toward the still motionless Skywalker. Two on one are good odds and a small ray of hope burst through Kai, their brilliant and inspiring sight filling him with a sense of optimism, faith in the force and his brother and sister Jedi.

It was almost beautiful, the terror that replaced the hope in Kai's whole body. Like the murder of Master Jurokk, Kai's young mind simply did not, or could not grasp the scene unfolding before him. The two charging Jedi sent off the last of the blaster fire directed at them as they raised their lightsabres together in perfect formation, and brought them down on the darkness before them. Skywalker had burst into action at the last moment, in a simple, impossibly fast move, it almost looked like he shrugged off their attack. Such little effort in the face of two famed, skilled and strong warriors bearing down on him. Now they too, like Master Jurokk, lay on the floor. Perfectly still.


	2. Run

Kai had burst into a run down the passage, in his attempt to escape the horde of troopers and their terrifying leader, cascading into the temple entrance now behind him. The handful of Jedi at the gateway never stood a chance, and those who had survived the first act of invasion were now fleeing like Kai. 'Invasion…..or extermination?' briefly crossed Kai's scattered thoughts as he sprinted. He had to warn the others, everyone or anyone he could. He had to raise the alarm and set the remaining Jedi on guard. At least then they could try and make a last stand in the face of this evil.

Kai turned a corner just as a blaster bolt struck the wall in front of him, a large scorch mark now scarring the once serene paint. The doorway to the temple had been taken and the clones were moving into the rest of the complex. Kai spun down another passage and found himself confronted by a handful of Jedi, the younger amongst the group bore looks of terror and confusion. The elder, more trained of the party appeared worried, traces of understanding in their eyes as their connection to the force allowed a glimpse of events. 'What's going on?' a Knight spoke with authority to Kai. 'The clones..', was all he could utter before they were there again, inciting battle in the hallowed halls, firing mercilessly down upon the gathered Jedi. The lightsabres of the peace keepers jumped to life with flashes of blue and green in an instant, to defy this new assault.

As Kai fell back into their lines to help fight off this fresh offensive, the Jedi roared again above the brutal, thunderous sound of oncoming death, 'RAISE THE ALARM! FIND MASTER SHAKK TI!' Following the order without hesitation Kai sprinted off again, hopeful that the Jedi would be ok, the corridor was narrow and limited the clones numbers. In that scenario a handful of Jedi shouldn't have a problem against even large numbers of clones, but if Skywalker had followed down that same corridor…..

Kai blocked the thoughts from his mind, focused entirely on his mission. He HAD to raise the alarm, warn the rest of the temple. On his route, Kai found two other Padawans both young and scared. The dark side of the force had been clouding Jedi senses more and more over past months, but an attack of this magnitude and the tremors in the force caused by actions all over the galaxy had an impact on all force sensitive's. These two were young but seemed able, their weapons active and senses on alert to anything that might be happening. 'Clones have invaded the temple, we have to raise the alarm and report to Master Shakk Ti, now move!' cried Kai, finding a tone of leadership in his voice even he found slightly alien. One of the Padawans spoke up, 'there's a computer terminal this way we can raise the alarm from there' as the three charged off. Kai suddenly realised he needed to take things slower. He had been going full throttle since this started and was expending energy quickly, if he kept this up he would be useless in a fight.

As they drew closer to the terminal, Kai had slowed a little and the padawans with him. With the terminal in sight, there was an explosion in the path ahead of them, and soon more clones appeared through it. 'We don't have time for this, finish them quick!' called Kai, his new forceful manner inspiring a little confidence within even him. He lunged toward them, the two younger Jedi just behind him as the clones turned and unleashed fire upon them, sabres active the fire was deflected away from the intended targets as they drew closer. Kai hurled himself forward and brought his fury down upon the nearest clone, slicing him clean in two. Kai weaved and twirled gracefully among the congregated troopers, his sabre flowing through the air destroying weapons, severing limbs and ending lives. As he worked his way through them, slashing at any who dared fall within the arc of his lightsabre, a couple of clones went flying past him over his shoulders, broken bodies smashing into the floor ahead. The younger Jedi had joined the fight with vigour and the force behind them.

As the three battled past the new opening made in the passage wall, more clones spilled into the gap behind them and opened fire. One of the Padawans was instantly struck in the back and with a cry he fell. The other managed to dodge the initial fire, he wheeled around and faced the new threat. He tried using the force to move some of the rubble into a barrier between them, but he was inexperienced with an undeveloped link to the force. Lingering in the same spot he made himself easy pickings for the random blaster fire. 'KEEP MOVING!' Kai screamed, but it was too late, the young Jedi joined his companion in becoming one with the force. Kai was once again alone and facing almost impossible odds. His back to the empty road he needed to go down, but suddenly dozens of clones were appearing right before him. Doing his best to deflect the oncoming fire he felt himself begin to falter and shots he should have deflected were starting to get through narrowly missing his left side. 'Duck' a voice suddenly seemed to say in his head. At the last second Kai threw himself to the floor as a huge amount of debris flew over him, crushing clones and burying the entrance they had made. 'Kai are you alright?' spoke a kind soft voice Kai knew all to well. Jedi Knight Candace Teleek approached Kai slowly, 'Master Teleek!' Kai exclaimed, once again finding the small ray of hope filling his body, how Kai always felt when his master and teacher was around. 'Yes my apprentice, I leave you alone for 5 minutes and what happens eh?' replied the ever cheeky Knight.


	3. Debriefing

Master Teleek stood with a calm, eloquent air about her. As always her robes seemed to be in remarkable condition, considering the amount of dust filling the congested area made by the recent collision of rubble hurled by the Jedi master. Kai was still lying on the deck, looking up at his strong, confident master. Her robes were billowing ever so slightly as always, despite being indoors with absolutely no wind. Master Teleek had said before that she used the force to make her apparel move as such, 'It gives a rather more impressive visual impact. If you can defeat an opponent just from looking strong, it makes victory all the sweeter.' Kai was never sure if she was joking about this point or not.

The Jedi Master held out her hand and helped the mature Padawan to his feet. As soon as Kai was to his feet, Master Teleek had started off down the passage Kai had been trying to get down himself moments before with the two, now fallen Jedi. As his mind came back to his fallen brothers his eyes fell on their broken bodies and he shuddered. Death was a natural part of life. Becoming one with the force was destiny; a teaching that had been driven into him since joining the order but Kai looked on the young faces. 'Too young,' he thought. 'Are you coming?' The formidable yet already distant voice of his master shook Kai from his brief reflection. He turned and swiftly followed after his master. Kai had to break into a small jog to catch up with his hasty teacher and once he drew level she held out her hand to him. 'Your lightsabre.' This was not as unusual a request from Teleek as some may suspect.

Jedi Master Candace Teleek was one of the few remaining Kiffar in the galaxy, a sub species of human. Rarer still was her ability to read memories of an object via touch; one in a hundred Kiffar could read the memories of inanimate objects. Even those that were formerly animate, like corpses. Through her force training and exceptional skill, Candace Teleek was able to take that further and could read the memories of even living beings, though she refrained from such activity when she could. She often called looking through the memories of the living a, 'process similar to finding great art, after wading through a planet of shit.' In previous missions together when they had become separated, Master Teleek had asked for Kai's lightsabre, so that she might see all of his experience and learn all information he gathered in their time apart, by a simple touch.

Kai was hesitant, the temple was being invaded by an overwhelming force and the Jedi's chance of victory, well, Kai couldn't bear thinking of that; his lightsabre was key to any chance of his survival. Master Teleek sensed the apprehension but did not have the time to comfort her student, she needed to know exactly what had happened and so, she merely repeated her instruction this time, with a little more assertion. 'YOUR LIGHTSABRE'. She didn't raise her voice but then she didn't have to, the subtle change in tone was all Kai needed to quickly hand over his weapon. Teleek took the device without stopping and squinted her eyes a little. Kai knew that Master Teleek preferred to be still and concentrate when reading through memories, moving along as they were made the entire process a lot more difficult. Sometimes the situation just didn't allow for such luxuries. As she grasped it, Kai heard her mutter one word 'Skywalker…'


	4. Memories

Master Teleek threw Kai's lightsabre back to him almost as quickly as she had taken it in hand. He was grateful to have his weapon back. He had always felt safer in the presence of his Master, as most Padawans did, but these were special circumstances and Kai felt a lot less naked with his weapon returned.

With the passing of responsibility from student to master, Kai realised he didn't know where they were headed or what the plan was. His own objectives, driven by instinct and the now distant cries of other Jedi were gone and had been replaced by whatever his teacher had in mind. Escape, rallying others or battle. Kai just didn't know at the moment, which he found extremely infuriating. Though he had been following his master he had taken some note of the direction they were headed. Taking stock he realised they were not in fact moving towards the council chamber or Master Shakk Ti's quarters, nor anywhere she might end up. He needed to know what was going to happen next, what was happening now and why. _Why_ was probably the biggest question of all.

'Master Teleek… what do we do?' asked the Padawan. Candace stopped so suddenly that Kai almost ran right into her. Her form was still and rigid, her eyes set in a focused path before her; hand gripping her lightsabre tight. 'There has not been an assault on the temple like this within the lifetime of any current Jedi.' She spoke with stiffness in her voice that was very unlike the bright, bubbly and carefree tone she usually projected.

Kai and his master had taken many mandates from the council before that had been dangerous. Anywhere from hostile receptions to shot down and stranded for months, they had been through it all together. On one particular mission, the two had been sent to the Outer Rim in search of a Republic diplomat who had disappeared in the region, after trying to negotiate with a group of mercenaries disrupting trade routes. Initially all intelligence had pointed to some disgruntled colonists and some poorly chosen phrasing by the diplomat as the source of the problem. Things quickly appeared far more serious as Teleek and Kai were assaulted as soon as they landed. Their ship destroyed, crew and escorts dead, the two had had to flee into the surrounding jungle with nothing but the clothes on their back and lightsabers at their sides. For nearly three months they survived together, avoiding the bounty hunters and mercenary bands pursuing them. Even during this desperate time, when starvation and dehydration were as much a threat as the hunting parties all around, Master Teleek had kept a breezy attitude towards the whole situation; making jokes, laughing when silence would have been safer. Kai had thought that she seemed to embody the very essence of the calm and composed mind that Jedi training tries to instil within all its pupils, though her application of such training was rather unorthodox.

Kai looked on his master's back, trying to comprehend, trying to learn as he always did when in the presence of those wiser and more experienced. 'Assaults on the temple have happened before however and so there have always been plans laid out just in case.' Candace turned to her student and addressed him properly. 'The dark side has been mounting more and more, even before this damned war began. Things have been coming to a head for awhile now. We've all felt it, though not all have understood what it could mean. Nobody foresaw this chain of events…' Her speech trailed off as her eyes drifted to the side in a sad way; contemplating an eventuality that no one had thought a real possibility. Her eyes suddenly twitched back to her student and met his gaze, her voice finding a new resolve Kai was all too familiar with.

Master and Padawan had taken the first mission together on a small planet in the Midrim, where Native species warred against industrial modernisation and the pair had tried to instil a mutual, peaceful resolution. This had been the typical sort of early mission expected of new Padawans, as an exercise in diplomacy to cut their teeth on. Master Teleek took the lead and as expected, tried very hard to meet the demands of both parties, offering compromise and cooperation as alternatives to violence. Kai had looked on as an observer to see how a true peacekeeper worked in a harsh galaxy. After four days it seemed that the two sides were beginning to see reason and begin to yield to the wise advice of Master Teleek. It was then that Kai first heard this sound of absolute resolve in her voice that she used in the temple now. She completely changed her tack in the diplomacy, going from impartial and aloof to forceful and overpowering. She never threatened or shouted but made clear that 'the banthashit stops now', her exact words as he remembered. She forced out a deal there and then on the fifth day that neither representative was really happy with but as it turned out, worked in the best interest of both parties. Kai was in awe of this sudden change with what he had assumed to be a predictable new teacher. After eight hours on board a transport back to Coruscant, Kai had finally worked up the courage to ask his Master why she had changed her diplomatic style so drastically halfway through the negotiations. In response, Candace had merely smiled; more to herself than at Kai, and responded, 'if I didn't get out of there soon, I would have missed the Duel Moon podrace on Malastare. I know a great little place on Coruscant to see all the big races.' Kai was rendered speechless for the rest of the journey.

Hearing this tone of voice again now, Kai knew that the next words out of his Master's mouth were unquestionable, as orders to be carried out immediately with the greatest of haste. 'Only the council and a handful of other Jedi knew what to do in the case of an unwinnable invasion scenario' Kai physically recoiled at the word 'unwinnable' but stayed attentive all the same. 'We have jobs to do' Master Teleek continued 'Ours is to gather as many younglings and initiates as we are able and lead them to safety, the Jedi MUST live on. Now come, we have wasted far too much time standing here!' Master Teleek sounded almost angry at those last few words and Kai, was finding his teacher's manner more and more out of the ordinary but this was no ordinary situation.

As they flew deftly down the halls, the sounds of battle were now all too noticeable, though they echoed like far off explosions; the shaking of the walls betrayed just how close the fighting was. Kai recognised the path they took now as heading towards the nearest youngling dormitory. Kai took a moment before speaking his mind, 'Master, should I not join the defence of the Temple? Surely you can lead the young ones to safety your…' He didn't get a chance to finish before Teleek halted once more and confronted him, forcing Kai to skid to a stop. Standing a breath from each other, Candace spoke sharp and clearly, 'there is no defence to be joined, no resistance we can mount, this right now is about survival. You were there at the North gate. You saw what happened, and through you so have I. We have our task, now set to it'. Turning once more toward their mission, Master Teleek sped silently off. Kai felt sick. He took off after his Master immediately but all the uneasy feelings he had buried deeply suddenly tried to break free. No matter what situation he had ever been in there had always been hope, hope of victory, hope of somehow finding a path to success no matter the odds. In this he thought himself lucky to have Master Teleek as his tutor. Her permanently optimistic outlook had assured him many a time that hope was always there. He could feel himself falling despite his feet touching the ground as they ran. Hopelessness enveloping him as fear spread throughout his body, coursing along every nerve ending. He knew he had to stop thinking and focus on the task, take his mind off this dreaded feeling. Only then could he be of any use to his Master, only then would he be able to put one foot in front of the other.

Teleek shook her Padawan by simply shouting 'NO!' Ahead of them was the doorway to one of the younglings' dormitory's. The door had been blasted open and the walls of the corridor were scorched and burned. A handful of troopers stood outside, clearly having just finished the execution of the innocent younglings. Master Teleek took off, her sabre bursting to life in a brilliant blue beam. In a single jump she covered the 30 yard gap between her and the clones, landing directly in the middle of them and sinking her weapon straight into the ground. Kai had seen this technique before.

It had been on a mission on the very eve of the Clone Wars, on Geonosis itself. Master Teleek had been tasked with heading a special advanced strike team, assigned to disable the main communications hub of the planet. The theory had been to end whatever darkness Geonosis was hiding before they could get the word out or call for reinforcements. They had managed to get themselves to a high balcony overlooking one of the major power conductors of the planet communication terminal. It had been very difficult. Trying to make their way there was one thing, but getting in that deep without raising an alarm or alerting security had made progress excruciatingly slow. The team had found themselves in an unfortunate position. The space below was packed with Geonosians both on the floor and fluttering along the walls. The Jedi were far too high above their target; silencing them would be improbable before one Geonosian surely raised the alarm.

As Kai and the other Jedi in the remaining strike team deliberated as to how they could achieve their goal, Teleek was lining up her jump. She had leapt gracefully over the rest of her team and soared down to the small horde below her. Activating her lightsabre mid fall the Geonosians suddenly noticed her and had they had time, would have reached for their weapons, hit the alarm or even run…but they didn't have time. Master Teleek spun in the air just before she hit the ground slamming her lightsabre straight down into the ground, burying the weapon right to the hilt. There was a beat as the weapon sunk fully into the ground and then it happened. A huge wave of destructive force energy burst from the point of impact and spread violently throughout the chamber. As the Geonosians minds began to conceive any idea of retaliating against this intruder, their bodies were launched away from the Jedi and cascaded against the walls like rain. Dead on impact such was the strength of the energy wave, the bodies began to slide down to the floor, though many were now fixed to the interior. The energy surge had also blown away half the power conduit rendering the planet's communications well and truly useless. Deactivating her weapon, Master Teleek had slowly risen to her feet and turned to look up into the rafters where her shell-shocked comrades stared in awe. 'I think that's job done,' she said with a grin.

Very few Jedi had mastered the force wave in such a way as to harness such a destructive outcome. In their previous eight years together Kai had never seen his teacher unleash this ability, despite being in some very dangerous situations beforehand. He learned that Teleek refrained from using the ability unless absolutely necessary, as it took a lot out of her.

As she landed amongst the troopers, her sabre once again sunk into the ground causing an explosion of energy. The corridor was compact and the clones armour provided no protection as the small group became permanent fixtures of the temple. As Kai came up beside his master, she rose from the ground looking annoyed with herself 'that' she spoke to herself more than to her Padawan, 'was stupid.'


	5. Stay on Target

_A/N many thanks to my beta reader for the editing!_

As Teleek took the moment to reprimand herself and recover from the strong attack, Kai moved inside the youngling dormitory. As soon as he looked, he wished he hadn't. Small bodies lay scattered around the room covered by blaster wounds. Some lay behind beds and desks clearly having attempted to hide, while others were stretched out in the middle of the chamber.

'They must have been caught by surprise,' Kai thought to himself. He crouched down beside the corpse of a young Zabrak who was no longer recognisable, such was the severity of his wounds. His face was burnt away and everything but his tiny hand was scorched, his fingers still clinging to a training lightsabre.

Teleek crouched beside the child and lifted a single finger to touch his hand. Her eyes stretched wide and her mouth fell open. She wrenched her hand back so fast it must have hurt. 'He tried to defend them, he never stood a chance. He showed such courage for one so young.' A faint, sad smile crossed her lips and her eyes softened. Swiftly to her feet, her robes still billowing about her, she turned and swept from the room. 'Come on, we have to hurry if we're to prevent anymore of this'.

Kai took in the dreadful sight before him once more and then hurried after his master.

As they set off to the next dormitory, Kai hoped they wouldn't be greeted by similar scenes. If the clones had already massacred this group, they couldn't be far from their next target.

Down a few passageways, the Jedi turned a corner and came across a small squad of clones marching down the corridor away from them. The clones hadn't noticed the pair and Teleek stepped back to lean against the wall.

'Make it quick, I'm still recovering.' It was all she had to say.

Kai was accustomed to taking the lead while his Master stood back. 'It's the best way to learn,' Teleek had always said. Kai took another look at the squad. Sizing up the situation he made a plan. 'Okay,' thought Kai. 'Quickly…'

As the clones strode down the hall in a two-by-two formation, the near, right-hand trooper was suddenly struck in the back by a plinth, which, with tremendous impact, sent him crashing into the clone in front. The rear left-hand guard turned to see where it had come from, but only managed to catch a glimpse of the young Jedi's lightsabre as it careened towards him; it penetrated his helmet and sunk deep into his skull.

Sensing that the remaining clones were about to open fire, Kai used the force to pull his lightsabre from the dead trooper. Instead of returning it to his hand, he instead left it suspended midair between himself and his attackers. The sabre deflected the blaster bolts, dropping two of the clones to the ground. With one trooper left, Kai leapt into the air, took his weapon and soared like a bird towards its prey. He brought the beam down, slicing his opponent's gun in two as he landed. He rose to sever clean through the soldier's midriff.

Kai stood amongst the bodies he had taken down so efficiently. But before he could gather himself, Master Teleek was already running past him.

'Not bad,' she called.

The walls of the temple continued to shake and rumble under the weight of battle. Kai's mind wandered to the smaller conflicts that were erupting all around; Jedi battling against the evil incursion. Battling… and dying. Echoes in the force were so heavy and numerous now, that what had been a great disturbance, was now white noise.

They were very close now. Master Teleek had been gathering pace the closer they got. Finally they came to a large domed room with three doorways. One opened to a large training room, another led off down a passage, and the third was a small grey door. Three more trooper squads were gathered outside the grey door. It was sealed, but they were close to blasting through. Inside were a group of terrified younglings, whose lessons on controlling fear had all but been forgotten.

A guard spotted the Jedi as soon as they were in sight, alerting the others by opening fire immediately. A frontal assault was out of the question, there was simply too many of them. Master Teleek and Kai drastically changed their path, veering towards the training room. They deflected a barrage of fire as they traversed the chamber. The confined space and the large number of clones meant that much of the reflected lasers found their way back. Half a dozen clones were already on the floor, as Teleek shut the door of the training room behind them.

'We don't have long, this door will not hold and the youngling's have even less time.' Teleek spoke hurriedly as the door was pounded by rifle-fire.

Turning to her Padawan, she found him staring at a hulking training droid in the far corner. Kai looked back at his master with a raised eyebrow. Teleek understood and just shrugged, 'sure, why not.'

The Jedi could hear the clones reforming into two groups. The fractured group returned to the younglings', while their companions continued their assault. Standing far too close to the training room door, the troopers couldn't dodge the enormous training droid as it emerged, crashing through, sending debris and troopers sprawling. And the droid didn't stop; it charged through the remaining men with such a force, that they were crushed underfoot or pinned against the opposite wall.

As the dust settled, Master Teleek and Kai stepped out into the room now littered with bodies. The locked door protecting the younglings had been demolished by the droid's rampage.

'I'm a little surprised they didn't think of doing that,' mused Teleek.

'Definitely quicker than blasters,' agreed Kai.

They stepped over the wreckage and entered the room, finding a score of young ones hiding behind and beneath various objects.

Teleek stood in the doorway, her robes trembling around her like the children occupying the chamber. 'It's…'

Kai noticed the words catch in his teacher's throat, but he knew what she was going to say… 'It's safe'. He realised – as she must have - what a false statement that would have been. They were far from safe.

Teleek took a deep breath, steeling herself, and addressed the children. 'We're here to get you to safety, stay close, keep up and we _will_ protect you.'

Kai understood that this wasn't so much a promise from Teleek. It was a fact. This was _her_ mission, _her_ mandate from the council. She was going to see it through.

Entering the chamber, Kai began to usher the children from their hiding places. He found one crouched under a desk, shaking so violently with the force, the whole desk was vibrating. Holding out a hand, Kai drew the child out. 'Time to go,' he said.

The younglings made their way into the outer chamber as Teleek swooped down on the clone commander, lightly touching his helmet. In a breath, she sighed, bowed her head and withdrew her hand. 'There's a shuttle platform on the upper-south section of the temple. We make our way there and get these kids to safety.'

'What about the others?' Kai said. 'There are at least 2 more dormitories in this section of the temple alone!'

Master Teleek was already striding ahead of the younglings and down the hallway. Eyes fixed ahead, tightly gripping her lightsabre and muttering darkly, 'we're too late'.


	6. Now For The Hard Part

The platform they had to reach was almost on the opposite side of the Temple. Living there as a child, Kai had loved its vast architecture. He could spend hours exploring its depths and barely scratch the surface. He often got into trouble for his unshakeable curiosity. Now he loathed the building. It was playing host to an army whose sole intention was to kill every last inhabitant. The structure had been built with ease of navigation in mind, allowing anyone to make their way from one section to another painlessly. But now this convenience was in the clones' favour. Kai and Teleek would have to choose their path carefully.

Getting to the younglings had been the simple part. Troopers had fallen like Gizka and the Jedis' speed had overwhelmed the armoured clones. But now progress was maddeningly slow. The children lacked the physical requirements to match the Jedi's pace and were extremely easy targets, especially being clustered together in such a large group. If they came across a clone; which was almost guaranteed, Kai knew he and his teacher would have to deflect every blaster bolt and from every direction. The situation was dire.

Flanking the group, Kai noticed that a few children carried training sabres. 'Master the younglings, maybe some of them could help…'

'No Kai,' Teleek replied. She did not even turn to address him.

Kai knew this meant she had already considered and dismissed the possibility.

'We are here to protect them because they cannot protect themselves,' she said. 'They might try, but they would die quickly. You've already seen an example of that'.

This stung Kai; the fresh memory burned bright.

The younglings were listening closely; anything to block out the sound of death occurring all around them. Kai hoped their disagreement would not terrify the children further.

The Younglings chattered amongst themselves. '_Example of what? What did he see? What's going to happen to us?_'

Teleek stopped and turned to address the group. Adopting a soft yet hurried tone as the situation demanded, she said, 'listen to me, if we are forced into battle, stay back. Hide yourselves and let us handle the situation, we _will_ keep you safe. Some of you have sabres; keep them at your sides unless absolutely necessary. Trying to help us will only get you killed.' She turned away and continued on while the shell-shocked younglings remained frozen.

Kai gently ushered them forward. Once more he found his teacher's tone shocking. 'Harsh and brutal is not what these kids need right now,' he thought. He realised quickly however that the situation was not suited to a patient approach. As the group hurried along toward a larger chamber, they spied a large group of clones in a distant passage. Normally the Jedi would have engaged them, but the open space and clone numbers made it too much of a risk. Besides, with the younglings now present, any combat on this scale was completely out of the question.

Teleek pulled back and looked at Kai. She shook her head, 'we have to move quickly. They will be here soon.'

Kai noticed a small access panel behind one of the children. 'Through there,' he pointed, 'it should lead us up and over them. Come on lets hurry.' He moved around them and silently removed the panel.

'Lead them through and I'll follow,' Teleek whispered as she peered around the corner again. Kai climbed in and made his way swiftly along the maintenance shaft, followed closely by the younglings. The clones were still a way off but they were making steady progress towards them.

'Come on quickly now,' Kkai urged.

Fear had stolen the childrens' voices, so silence through the tunnel wasn't a problem. Teleek took one final look around the corner. The Clones had stopped in the centre of the room, distracted by something. Unwilling to hang about, she made her way into the tunnel, closing the grate behind her. The shaft climbed steeply, but was large enough for a maintenance droid. The group made their way with little difficulty. Following the arch of the room, the shaft led them straight over the clones now congregated below.

Just as Kai was nearing the other side, there was a noise in the tunnel behind him. 'A cough maybe?' He peered behind to see a youngling's mouth covered by three of his classmates. Teleek was staring hard through a small grating, allowing her to view the troopers below. Despite the cacophonous din filling the Temple, the clones below had heard the child cough and were frantically searching for the source of the noise.

Kai motioned for the children to pass him. He met the eyes of a youngling whose hand was still covering his companion's mouth. Kai slowly peeled the child's hand away, but as soon as he did, the boy sneezed.

The clones below raised their guns and began blasting away at the ceiling. The younglings panicked and scrambled forward, trying desperately to escape this new threat. Kai was momentarily stunned, torn between staying with the younglings and engaging the clones. As he looked to Teleek for instruction; he saw that she had already taken a course of action, leaving him with one option. As soon as the troopers below had opened fire, Teleek had raised her hands and directed them at the base of the shaft, blowing it clean away. She had descended with the debris, and as trooper's yelled below, Kai heard Teleek activate her lightsabre.

Kai struggled to keep the younglings moving, but he got them through. Following the descent back down, the tunnel continued for a short while before Kai saw another panel exiting to the hallway. As he shifted it aside, a white blur soared past him and collided with a wall. The blur turned out to be a clone, only recognisable as it fell to the floor. Stretching to look in the direction the clone had come from, Kai saw troopers strewn all over the place. Some lay still with sabre wounds, while others had clearly been crushed by the force. One was bent backwards over a table, while another two lay amongst the remains of a console. Teleek was leaning against a wall, breathing heavily, her robes dancing along the wall.

'What kept you?' she joked with a half-smile. Then she grimaced and slid down the wall. Her robe bore a scorch mark just below her left shoulder. She had been hit.


	7. Take Point

Take Point

Kai rushed over to his master and crouched to examine the wound. As his hand outstretched, Teleek grabbed it. 'Its just a scratch' wincing slightly as she got to her feet. 'Although you might need to do a bigger share of the fighting and stop relying on me to do everything' she said with a chuckle. A little annoyed with her persistent attitude towards her own health Kai responded,

'Well if you were a better Jedi maybe you wouldn't need so much help?'

'Don't you think that's a little cold considering I've been shot?'

'It's just a scratch'.

Laughing Teleek got to her feet and together, the pair gathered the younglings exiting the shaft and made their way onward. Teleek's pace had slowed somewhat but with the younglings present it did not affect their situation. They still had a way to go and were surrounded by an army intent on death. Teleek was now at the rear of the group while Kai led. As they came to an adjoining corridor Kai peered around the corner to ensure it was safe, seeing nothing he pressed on with the younglings following.

Kai had only made it a few steps on before the sound of blasters and cries of young lives ending forced him to stop. Turning he saw two already on the ground as the rest of the group scattered. Teleek had jumped in between the younglings and the batch of clones, trying to deflect as much fire as she could, but the passage was too wide for her to cover it entirely. Kai leapt across to join her crying out as he did so, 'move!' His lightsabre came to life as he landed near his Master's side, two more younglings were dead already. 'Keep going!' The young group sprinted on as the Jedi did their best to defend them, but the bombardment grew heavier and the last child to run fell as she was struck by blaster fire.

'Lets go' cried Teleek. Kai spun backwards behind the wall and took off after the younglings as Teleek followed close. 'Lead them on I'll be right behind you', Kai didn't stop to argue. Hurtling after the young ones he knew the clones would be straight after them. They couldn't keep stopping to defend the younglings, let them get ahead and then run after them. As they turned a corner the wall that was ahead of them was now struck by a short volley. Trying to think of someway to block the path behind them, collapsing the roof or causing some explosion anything to stop the clones' pursuit, he saw the children huddled together ahead. Halfway towards them he realised Teleek was once again absent. Looking back he saw her pressed flat against the wall with her arm outstretched to the scorch marks made by the blasters, a look of deep concentration on her face. Continuing to the terrified group Kai wondered what on Coruscant was she doing, when he saw her open palm clench quickly into a fist. There was a large spark on the wall as a small part of it fell away and the first clone appeared round the corner. Teleek flung herself in Kai's direction as destructive flames erupted from the point of the spark and consumed the clone, as well as those many with him Kai could only assume. The fire spewed forth enveloping the entire space, preventing any from passing.

'That work y'think?' Teleek smiled as she passed him.

'Yeh that'll do', well aware of his Master's abilities by now, he couldn't help but wonder at times, if she could actually read his mind without touching him.

'That buys us some time but not much, we have to keep moving we're getting there', Teleek spoke to the younglings, in an attempt to reassure them, some visibly shaking in terror. Looking to Kai to lead the group once more she found him looking intently back at her.

'Master we shouldn't have encountered a group that large already, we planned our route based on how far we thought the invasion had progressed. Maybe we should think of another route? If the clones reach the midway hall before us…' he wasn't sure how he could finish.

'There's no way we could know exactly how far the clones have gone or in what areas Kai. We made our best guess and we have no choice but to stick to it now. Time is crucial my Padawan and we've just wasted about 45 seconds of it now go!'

Pushing his doubts to the back of his mind, Kai led the remaining company on to their hope of safety. The midway hall was one of many throughout the temple, acting as convergence points for the numerous pathways within the massive temple. They were large impressive rooms with high vaulted ceilings supported by thick, elegant pillars. Modern technology could have replaced them but the pillars were always said, to represent the unyielding strength of the Jedi.

The plan had hinged on making it through one of these chambers before the evil spreading rapidly. As long as the legion Kai had seen enter was the only one, things would be a lot easier to judge. Getting through the midway point first would mean the majority of clones would be behind them and it would be a case of outrunning them. A simpler situation then their current predicament but unfortunately, it would be no less dangerous.

They were getting closer but Kai couldn't help shake the unease that had settled in his chest. The last group of clones they came across was too big to be an advanced scouting group and intelligence on this invasion was light at best. The troopers had numbers on their side but they shouldn't have come so far so quickly against Jedi. Kai nearly tripped over his own feet as he remembered how this all started. He'd been so distracted by the clashes with clones that he'd all but forgotten the man leading the army, Skywalker.

Of course they had swept through the temple so quickly, Skywalker would have cast aside numbers of Jedi where regular troops would have become stuck, and where was he now? Kai hadn't seen any sign of him since the initial incursion and he could descend on them at any second.

'We wouldn't stand a chance'

Wrenching his thoughts back to the immediate present and avoiding the fearful thoughts spreading further, the sound of lightsabre's clashing drove sharp panic through him. Stopping dead he was quickly joined by Teleek, her weapon already active and ready. They both knew that there was only one reason for the sound of colliding blades, it had to be Skywalker. Activating his own, Kai was about to tell the younglings to run as there was a break in the echoes, of the nearby battle. A body flew towards them bouncing from a wall and landing at their feet. She was a Twi'lek and Kai recognised her as Terra Valaxes, a Padawan who had trained in the same clan when they were both young.

Terra looked up at the two Jedi before her. The impact had knocked the wind out of her and she was struggling to draw a decent breath. Gasping she managed to get out three words 'HE'S... GONE... MAD!'


	8. Madness

Madness

As the last word escaped her lips, Terra lost consciousness. Kai's heart was hammering so hard he felt it would burst out of his chest at any moment. His grip grew tight and uncomfortable on his weapon and sweat began to form on his brow.

'Control your fear my Padawan' Teleek's sharp voice cut through him, shaking him from his paralysing terror. Slow steady footsteps grew closer and a gentle blue glow grew steadily brighter in the archway ahead. The sound was solitary and unaccompanied by the sound of any clones.

'Kai you have to go quickly, take her and the younglings, find another way out of this place. I'll give you as much time as I can'

Her voice was steady with no trace of her usual humour, she knew she couldn't win any confrontation with …_him_. If he did as she said, how far would they get before Skywalker caught up with them? Teleek was in no condition to face him alone but even if he stayed, Kai was likely to be struck down just as quickly. No, he _would_ be struck down quickly, he was no match for Skywalker! This was it, this was the end. Kai's thoughts were consuming him as Teleek spoke again, her words drowned out by the deafening white noise clouding his sense. He'd faced risk and danger before with a great chance of death many times. Never had it been so indefinably certain.

The blue haze was strong now, the blade it was emitted from would be in sight in a moment. Teleek was still saying something but all Kai could understand was a more urgent tone to her voice, it was too late to run now anyway. There was no escape. His eyes falling briefly to the unconscious Terra, how had she managed to force any kind of conflict against Skywalker and still be alive? Kai had already seen him strike down far greater Jedi then her with ease. Maybe she'd been lucky, she would certainly be lucky to be killed now, just like slipping away in her sleep he thought.

His heavy thoughts had nearly robbed Kai of all his strength now and he could feel his body succumbing to gravity. How could this have happened? Why was it happening? Despair had almost completely consumed him when his Master finally managed to shake him. Teleek brought his focus back to the immediate present, though it was not with more hurried urges to flee with the younglings or even a hard slap across the face, what brought Kai back was the confused, quiet surprise she expressed in one word.

'You?'

The lightsabre was now visible ahead of them as was its owner. He was a Nautolan and Kai recognised him as one the elder Jedi in the Order. Even to an outside eye, his slightly hunched form and old battle scars betrayed his age.

'Master Pelop, what are you doing?' Teleek observed him carefully. Pelop, Kai had heard the name though he had never met this man before. Taking a second more to remember Kai knew where he had heard the name, Terra had told him.

'Your Terra's master!'

'Indeed, though as a student she has proven rather disappointing. She seemed promising in the beginning but like so many, she has chosen death in this place. Stupid girl, I trust that you and your own Padawan won't make the same mistake Master Teleek?'

Kai remembered now, Terra had spoken of her instructor before, shortly after she began learning from him. Kai had just returned from a mission with his master soon after he had become a Padawan himself. Terra had complained to Kai how frustrating it was having Master Pelop as her teacher and how she envied Kai's chances to explore the galaxy. At the time Kai merely thought she was making a fuss over nothing. She seemed to go on and on explaining in detail, how he was far too over critical, how he seemed to prefer the comfort of the Temple to taking missions off-world, his forgetful nature and even how at times, he had seemed quite mad.

'What are you doing Master Pelop?' Teleek asked him again seemingly ignoring his last comment. She lowered her weapon slightly but still kept it active.

'End of the Jedi Master Teleek isn't it obvious? Like so many civilisations, organisations, species, planets or star systems, the end of the Order is here. I am not ready to meet that end however, so I've made a very simple choice. Do I live with the darkside or die with the Jedi? It's a very easy choice when you think about it. You've always been a wise Jedi Master Teleek, surely you can see the correct thing to do, join me.' He said as he began to walk toward them.

Kai couldn't understand what was going on, he could certainly hear what Master Pelop was saying but he words just weren't making sense. The meaning of his speech seemed to slur in Kai's mind as he tried to comprehend what Pelop was saying. Teleek's jaw had dropped slightly and her eyes narrowed as she held the approaching Jedi in her gaze.

'This isn't turning to the darkside Pelop this is… insanity. This is cowardice. No wait this' raising her hand toward him 'is stupidity. You really think they'll let you live if you start killing your own?' Her voice was rising steadily and becoming rife with anger.

'Why not? My knowledge is vast and I could make myself a valuable asset to the darkside. All I need do is prove myself, with your head it seems. I really had hoped you would see reason and join me. You seem to have made the same decision as my stupid Padawan and chosen death' His voice was rasping and cruel.

Teleek's eyes became fixed, her outstretched hand flicked away and Pelop's lightsabre flew out of his hand, smashing against the wall. Pelop gasped in surprise as he looked at the shattered remnants of the weapon he had carried nearly his entire Jedi life. He looked back to Teleek seeing her hand draw back quickly.

He felt a jerking pull around his navel and was now flying through the air toward her, unable to draw a breath. Just before he reached her, Teleek brought her own lightsabre forward and skewered him on its point. Grasping him by the shoulder to keep him from falling, Teleek held his ear close.

'You fucking disgrace'

She spat the words in his ear as she released him and his body slid to the floor, sliced by the blade he was impaled upon.

_A/N Thank you for reading I hope you have enjoyed my story so far and my apologies for the irregular and sometimes large gaps between updates to this story. My next instalment '_Pillars Fall_' will come soon I hope. If you could let me know what you think so far I'd greatly appreciate it._


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